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It appears that everyone on the internet is misusing Autism. Whenever someone either makes a negative opinion, thinks trivial things on something no one cares about, or draws sub-par fanart, that person is accused as being autistic and must be laughed at no matter what, and it's extremely common in a few social sites like 4chan. Not only that, but like ADHD, it's being used as an excuse for misbehavior, so the parents wouldn't be fully responsible in taking care of their child, which also led some to believe that Autism is just a myth. This is not the true definition of Autism, and it seems to give people who are truly diagnosed by this disorder a bad name. Autism involves someone who is socially awkward, has difficult communication (ex: odd word choices), cannot focus on an eye-to-eye contact when speaking to someone, has above average intelligence, and lives in his/her own fantasy world in order to escape from reality. It's a very serious condition that could potentially harm someone's life if diagnosed by it, and I happen to be one of those people, even though my rehab department said I only have a small percentage of Autism. Have you ever met someone diagnosed with Autism? What do you think of those who abuse the term whenever they disagree with someone's opinion and those who use it as an excuse for misbehaving? Have you been diagnosed of Autism yourself? If so, then how are you able to live your life with it?

I really can't stand when people try to use the words autism and autistic as insults for people with opinions and views that they don't like. That doesn't make them autistic. Stupid maybe, but HEY. Did you know? Autistic and stupid aren't synonyms! And HEY. Retarded isn't a synonym for stupid either! Really, people that would use those words to describe other people in a negative and misused connotation are just pieces of ****. I'm normally an understanding and tolerant person, but I'm very passionate about this topic and it angers me to no end when people use autistic or retarded to describe someone as stupid or dumb.

As far as the misdiagnosis and such, I unfortunately don't think that's going to stop. I think that's part of the reason that the ratio of autism has gone up. Last I heard it was 1/50? I could be wrong. The last I heard for sure though was 1/88. Not saying that the actual disorder in itself isn't becoming more prevalent, but I think it's rising too much because of misdiagnosis. But it, and ADHD for that matter, are very real. Try knowing someone in person with it or helping students with it.

My experiences with it first hand are small, though. I don't personally know anyone with autism in person, and I've only worked with one, but it was very briefly. I personally share a lot of traits and similarities with Asperger's Syndrome as well as autism, so even though I have no official diagnosis and likely don't have it (though I'd like to be assessed someday and know for sure), I still feel a connection with it. It's weird, haha. But it's just one of those, "hey i do that too we're not that different now, are we?"

"Victim" of Autism? That wording makes it sound like a thing that attacks someone... which it's not. It's a condition that somebody is born with, just like how some people are born with Mental Retardation, or Cerebral Palsy, or even Blindness or Muteness. It's the fault of no-one.

As for my experience with Autism... 2 of my best friends happen to be autistic, each on totally different ends of the spectrum (one on the lower-functioning end, one on the higher end of the spectrum to the point where she resembles someone with Aspergers... And I just so happen to have Aspergers.)

Both of them are total sweethearts once you get past whatever quirks they happen to have (One doesn't talk much, the other is obsessed with plushies)

One of the things I've noticed, at least, with my 2 friends, is that they both seem to have the mind of a small child, at least sometimes.
the lower-functioning one always has a Sonic plushie with her at all times except when she's in school. Acctually, my higher-functioning friend is pretty much the same, but with at least one out of around 30 plushies she owns.... and she'll even sneak the smaller ones to school sometimes. xD And of course they're both obsessed with videogames... not Pokemon though... though one seems willing if put in front of her while the other was told by her mother that it's just a money scam and won't get involved in it herself -must have been looking at the cards, not the games- of course she won't stop me from getting into it.

Now, the higher-functioning one trys to be like any other teen her age, additude included. Of course she has her moments where... yeah, she needs help/reminders about basic stuff. Oh, and of course she wants to move out as soon as she can. (of course, she doesn't exactly get along with her yell-happy mom, and her dad left before she was born so...) At least she has a web of friends she can come to for various things.

The other one lives with her parents and doesn't seem to have any plans to move out any time soon... which is all fine, especially since she has a good relationship with her parents, even if they happen to be divorced and living apart. She makes an effort to spend time with both of them. As for her friends, I'm acctually not aware of any of her friends besides myself, other than she apparently has friends. Oh, and of course she like, almost literally has a smile on her face. Never cusses either, which I like. (The higher-functioning one cusses like a sailor when allowed to...)

As for the "Fantasy World" thing? Yeah, they'll do that at times... the lower-functioning one just does her own thing and her parents support it, even if it's childish. (and trust me, she can be REALLY childish about stuff she watches... like Nick JR/PBS Kids level of childish O_O Me and the other one have LOOOOONG since outgrown such shows...) while the higher-functioning one has a side to her that doesn't want to grow up and doesn't like how her own mother tries to keep her away from "childish" things like legos and plushies (her mom has eased up on the plushies thing in the past year or so, especially since I came around and cuz I do the plushies thing to) while it seems there's another side of her that wishes she could be more responsible...

TLDR; one is kind of like a 5-year-old in the body of an 18-year old, and the other is like, 16 and trying to make something resembling a balance between the inner child and teenager.

As for me, I've got Aspergers and didn't know about it until my freshman year of high school (I graduated a month ago by the skin of my teeth, but that's another story)
Took at least a year or two to accept it, but I eventually realised that yes, maybe I do have a touch of it, even if it's minor... it certainly explains how I can be so close to TWO autistic girls.

Autism can be more extreme than people being socially awkward. I worked at the local mall for the past year and gave out free samples occasionally, so I ran into a lot of people. Two children in particular stand out significantly to me. When one boy and his father approached me when I was giving out free samples (candy offered in a tray, I had a 'spoon' so I picked up a piece and placed it in their hand) I was about to offer him the piece when he grabbed my hand and was pulling the spoon to his mouth. His dad pulled him back before he could bite it or anything and explained that he was autistic.

The second child I experienced while running the cash register, and he found an Alvin and the Chipmunks doll we were selling and started screaming and physically harming himself when his mother (maybe just a caretaker) told him he couldn't have it. He actually started throwing the doll at me and my co-worker for us to ring it up and his mom had to literally drag him out of the store as he screamed "Alvin!" and slapped himself.

Those were the only extreme cases that I've had any experience with. Now, I've known people who will diagnose themselves as autistic for whatever reason. I've seen one girl in particular do this as a scapegoat for having a crappy demeanor and pretty much just being a complete jerk to everyone she meets. She could have legitimately had a mild case of autism, but based on my own experiences with her (her saying she's autistic one day, the next day saying that she has no form of autistim at all...?) I think it's safe to say that she's the type who uses these disorders in her favor, so to speak.

I believe that autism is a very real and very, very misunderstood disorder but because of its nature people will often diagnose themselves or be misdiagnosed by doctors, even, and it all just fuels the misconception on the disorder. It's difficult to wrap one's mind around how autism works because there are so many levels of severity in it, one boy at my college has a mild case where the only thing that makes him stand out is that he approaches everyone in the student center to avidly discuss My Little Pony and can't pick up on obvious and blatant clues when someone doesn't want to talk. He's in a completely different zone than the boy who harmed himself and screamed because of a doll.

tl;dr diagnosing autism is a pretty fluid practice because of the levels of severity, and this leads to a lot of misconceptions about people with the disorder.

I think this is a key point, and the cause of the rise in diagnosis. Autism is not one specific set of symptoms, but works within a range and can be different from individual to individual.

I will just point out, with regards to the OP, not all sufferers of Autism have a higher IQ or intelligence. In fact the opposite is often true. There is a large range of intelligence shown just as there is a huge degree of range in social anxiety/social skills.

Well, I saw this title and as an autistic person couldn't help but have a look, (and yes I have got the papers that say I have it and everything, I'm not self-diagnosed).

Before I address the actual topic I will say this, nobody is a "victim" of autism. It is something we are born with, it doesn't hunt us down and torment us. Even though the condition can be seriously detrimental to some people, and cause some serious problems even for those of us with a more mild variant (for example, I have high-functioning autism - which is not to be confused with Asperge's - and whilst it has caused some problems for me I don't feel negatively about it). It may frequently have an impact on the lives of those who have it, and even those around us, but autism is simply a part of who we are, it may not define us but we wouldn't be us without it.

As for the actual topic, using any kind of disability or condition as an insult is something that nobody should ever do. It is demeaning to those with the condition and helps perpetuate incorrect stereotypes. I would be furious if someone called someone who was bad at something (like artwork as you mentioned) autistic as an insult. Autism doesn't necessarily mean you suck at things, hell in a lot of cases it creates phenomenal talent in people (savants being the main example). Just because my mind is more-or-less a chaotic whirl (Pinkie's description of traits was pretty accurate, not surprisingly if they too have it) doesn't mean I'm inferior as a human being, so why should the word autistic be used as an insult?

What other have said about diagnosis is also quite largely true. Unlike a lot of other disabilities autism is quite hard to define and whilst there are a few common traits there is a very broad spectrum of the severity of autism and the traits that autistic people may or may not possess. Whilst I do think it is plausible that there have been plenty of misdiagnoses (I certainly don't think I was one considering how my brain works and what has happened in my life) I think that beliefs/comments like "autism is vastly over-diagnosed" and "autism is a myth" are a hindrance to the discovery of the disability in people who may need help to live their lives to their full potential, or need help to "live" at all. Honestly I think beliefs like that may very cause (or maybe very well have caused) a vast under-diagnosis of autism in society.

This all being said, autism is never an excuse for poor behaviour (especially if it is self-diagnosed...)
We may have certain social or cognitive hindrances but we are people just like anyone else and should be expected to behave appropriately. If I break someone's property in a meltdown, I should make damn sure it is mended or paid for. Maybe it's the autism talking but I like to see order and justice in the world.

How do I live my life with autism? I do the best I can. Yes I can have melt downs, and I like to arrange things into patterns and keep everything even. I have a chaotic mind, I don't sleep and I dislike change too. But there's no point in hiding away wallowing, nor in using my disability as an excuse to not go about my life. If it causes me problems so be it but I'm not going to let myself be defined by a single part of my personality.

If it is okay with the rest of you I also have a question to ask whilst we are on the topic.
For those of you who have autism or something similar, do you find that "social" interaction is easier when not done so in person?

I myself find talking to and meeting new people much easier online and I am certainly more outgoing in general. But I also find that it gets in the way of conversations on the phone more so than it does in real life.

For those of you who have autism or something similar, do you find that "social" interaction is easier when not done so in person?

I myself find talking to and meeting new people much easier online and I am certainly more outgoing in general. But I also find that it gets in the way of conversations on the phone more so than it does in real life.

I don't have autism or any spectrum disorder, that I'm aware of anyway, but I do have social anxiety and identify with this. The closest friends I have are all far away and I met them online. I feel like the reason being is because you don't have to deal with seeing that person and the judgement isn't there like it would be in person. And you don't have to worry about how someone looks or looking them in the eyes (I can't do that ugh) and it's easier. Oddly enough though, I hate talking on the phone. I don't like to talk to inanimate objects I guess? I feel silly, haha.

But really, I don't think that's a thing exclusive to autism or anxiety. I think even people without these in the way feel like it's easier to get to know someone online than in person. All you have is your words. :)

I'm a person who was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, a special (and deprecated) diagnosis that falls at the very tip of the high end of the Autism spectrum. Yes, they've removed Asperger's Syndrome from the spectrum, but I'm still a high-functioning Autistic nonetheless. My family believes that my father and my uncle (both full brothers by blood) are undiagnosed Autistics as well, mainly because of the personality traits and quirks the three of us share. I was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome at the age of 5 in Huntington, West Virginia, and at the age of 8 I received diagnoses for Classical Bipolar, ADHD, and Tourette's Syndrome from a medical center in Columbus, Ohio. Essentially, I hold diagnoses for three of the major mental disorders that many a folk like to abuse for self-gain. Listen to what I have to say regarding Autism.

I think that it is true that people misuse and misrepresent Autistics in regard to some of the things the OP was kind enough to mention. However, I also think that these people have good grounds on why they make such accusations. Naturally, Autistics lean towards selfish, often rude behavior around others. I've learned this as truth after I moved in with my father last year, and solidified my opinion on that when his brother (my uncle) moved in back in February. For my uncle, he has refused to acknowledge his self-fullfilling behavioral flaws to this date; he has seen no sort of light telling him to change how he behaves towards others. For my father, he has realized that he had became a selfish and greedy person through watching how I behaved early in my childhood; he has since spent the last decade repairing his flaws. I on the other hand, have realized that I behave like an indecent and demanding person when I was 14. I have, in the last year, been building a selfless, positively-rooted life through the help of many people. In short, I have a very strong belief that it is second-nature for autistics to be self-demanding twats.

You're probably wondering, "'You're all ass holes, let's blame it on Autism' doesn't really work for me. Got anything else?" Well, I do. First, we don't have a random inclination to behave selfishly; that really doesn't seem logical. Second, there are a hardly countable number of amazing similiarites that the three of us share amongst each other, that together proves an odd connectivity between us. Third, each of us have three main similarites as well that are normally credited with Autism, which are: (1) An enlarged memory cortex, accompanied with a disproportionately limited ability to handle social structure, (2) A natural irritation against certain things occuring within the same space (which holds similar to Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder), and (3) An amazing increase in the productivity of the neocortex (center of critical thinking), accompanied with a rather large deficit in the activity of the amygdala and the hypothalmus (handlers for emotional thinking, as well as the "fight or flight" mechanism).

Autistics have a completely different structure within our brains on how to handle things, which can have some side effects. Those side effects tend to be our downfall if we don't fix them at one point or another. My father and I think that one of those side effects is an enormous lean towards selfish, ass hole-resembling behavior by mere nature. I think that it may be an imbalance within the brain's mechanism for self-preservation, but that's just me.

You see where these normal people could get that Autistics can be rude sometimes? I do. I'm not saying they're completely justified or unjustified one way or another, but I can easily see where some of them come from. And just think of how many Autistics have been raised to allow this selfish bias to dwell and grow through their childhood. Just imagine Honey-Boo-Boo's mother with three Autistic sons, and I think you get the idea of what I'm saying.

'Victim'? I'm no more a victim of being on spectrum than you are of being neurotypical.

And how do I live my life with it? The same as you live your life, you just do. I don't know any other way of life, it's just how things are. Does a person born blind ever miss the color red?

I have Asperger's (Not severe). I was diagnosed around 8th grade (papers and everything wasn't official until nearly my junior year, my parents were in denial) and I kept it a secret for the longest time. I was ashamed that I would be (further) made fun of. I went through a lot of social classes, and learned how to better relate with others. Now, unless you spend a lot of time with me, like, days and days on end, you wouldn't even notice I'm different.

I have a full time job, and not flipping burgers, I work in contract security as an officer. I drive, I live on my own, I pay my bills. I'm an adult just like any other. I just am not great with certain things, and I think differently than a lot of people, that's all.

Though the social classes I learned why others would see me as different. It was the first thing I learned. And it helped quite a bit. Now I know how to act my way through most situations.

I think like a calculator, especially when it comes to social things like meeting a new person or small talk. If they say thing x then I should respond with y, pending events b and a. I actually have to stop and think that. It took me a long time to learn to respond simply. When I was little people would ask "How are you?"... I'd give them a list.

Lot of social coaching.

What it comes down to is, I am a great actor. Like I said, no one usually notices.

Pinkie-Dawn, I highly recommend you change the first post. Saying "Are you a victim of autism?" is incredibly offensive. I'm surprised most people that have posted have only calmly pointed it out to you rather than ripping you for it. But it comes off as rude, inconsiderate, and ignorant of the topic you've created. It's been bothering me a while now, and I thought I'd bring it up, and several people already have.

i did read through this thread but i'm just going to focus on the OP because it's 2am

but @AlexTheRose, ASD people don't generally come across as rude due to inherent selfishness. More like the inability to communicate well or empathize/sympathize with others causes people to interpret them as self-centred. Also, the normal ASD person's way of communicating with others tends to be "hear story; share related story involving myself". That also comes across as self-centred, but what it boils down to is "I want to express and solidify companionship by telling you a relevant personal story."

Quote originally posted by Pinkie-Dawn:

It appears that everyone on the internet is misusing Autism. Whenever someone either makes a negative opinion, thinks trivial things on something no one cares about, or draws sub-par fanart, that person is accused as being autistic and must be laughed at no matter what, and it's extremely common in a few social sites like 4chan.

js 4chan is really not the pinnacle of the internet and I would completely expect them to be derogatory

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Not only that, but like ADHD, it's being used as an excuse for misbehavior, so the parents wouldn't be fully responsible in taking care of their child, which also led some to believe that Autism is just a myth. This is not the true definition of Autism, and it seems to give people who are truly diagnosed by this disorder a bad name.

I've seen that and it makes me pretty angry. Parents really must not brush things off with "oh they're autistic" and not attempt to problem-solve and teach their child appropriate behaviour. Just because the child may have difficulty grasping the idea does not mean it is not worth trying to teach them. Tbh that's borderline child neglect falling under basic emotional/educational needs.

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Autism involves someone who is socially awkward, has difficult communication (ex: odd word choices), cannot focus on an eye-to-eye contact when speaking to someone, has above average intelligence, and lives in his/her own fantasy world in order to escape from reality.

No.
"Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and verbal and non-verbal communication, and by restricted, repetitive or stereotyped behavior."
Socially awkward is not the phrase. Naturally socially impaired is more like it. That does come from the lack of typical development involving speech and interpretation of body language. And that in turn leads to difficulty communicating.

Above average intelligence? No. If you're going to bring that up, let's be talking ASD, not straight up Autism. Most ASD people are below average in intelligence levels, being that the core of ASD- the most common variant, Autism proper- is essentially characterized by a reduction of intellectual development. The higher functioning ones are usually Aspies.

Speaking of, living in fantasy world? That's a ton of human beings bro. You don't have to be ASD to do that. But if you are ASD and living in a fantasy world, it's likely because you're being stigmatized and rejected. "Children with high-functioning autism suffer from more intense and frequent loneliness compared to non-autistic peers, despite the common belief that children with autism prefer to be alone." Let's expand that to include ASD adults. Once you're more aware of how the world views you, that's what happens. You build your own little bubble to live in so nothing can hurt you. It's more common in people who do not fit the social norm and can clearly understand that. Again, you don't have to be ASD for that. It's just a sad fact of life.

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It's a very serious condition that could potentially harm someone's life if diagnosed by it, and I happen to be one of the victims, even though my rehab department said I only have a small percentage of Autism.

No.
It's not going to harm your life if you're diagnosed. Probably the greater harm is not being diagnosed, because once you're diagnosed you suddenly have a clearer idea of why you are who you are. And you have access to therapy (if young or severe) and resources that will help you (school/uni counsellors, special education classes, adult support groups). Depending on the severity of the neurological disorder, your parents could get state/government funding for therapists and other resources to help you progress and eventually function at your best capacity. Diagnosis is the very best possible thing that could happen to someone with ASD.

Victim? No. ASD is not malicious. Personifying it as such goes the way of enforcing the stigma against this condition. You are non-neurotypical. You are on the Autism Spectrum. This is something you were born with, and it may have hindered your development, but it is not a thing that is targeting you. You may be a victim of social stigma, you may be a victim of rejection and misunderstanding. But those are relevant to people, not to this condition.

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Have you ever met someone diagnosed with Autism?

Yeah. My 13yo stepbrother's an Aspie. My 11yo stepbrother's moderately Autistic. My 9yo stepbrother is probably PDD-NOS. And wow, they are doing well.
Max (eldest) puts his inherent observational and focusing skills to use. Four months after being introduced to Pokémon he could name all 649 and their types and evo methods. Before that he was a total science and history nerd and still is. Memorizes everything with like no effort. He's currently putting energy into sports stats so idk but my bio brother and Dad say he knows like everything.
Benny (youngest) is such an energetic lil sweetheart omg. He had difficulty with speech and vocabulary and reading for a few years but he's getting it and he's doing so much better!
Sammy (middle) has progressed so far, oh my god. He was held back a grade initially because of his Autism but he's jumping back up again after years of therapy and focus on expanding his understanding of like everything. He didn't talk for the longest time but now he's such a chatterer with a wonderful vocabulary and he even lost all his tics and I'm really really proud of him because he's progressed up to his age level. That is such a big deal.

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What do you think of those who abuse the term whenever they disagree with someone's opinion and those who use it as an excuse for misbehaving?

Do you know what? I hate them. The atrocious people who use "retard" or "autistic" as an insult need to absolutely stop. There are such better insults out there. Use 'dick mango' or 'pissweed' if you're so inclined to express your displeasure. And don't insult people for how they were born. Insult who they choose to be.

As an excuse for misbehaviour, it is intolerable. As evidenced above, care and help can improve the quality of life for non-neurotypical parents and their children and help create more typical and socially acceptable behavioural patterns. Hauling a screaming child out of a shop and apologizing to people because the child is not taking the circumstances well is fine. They might be tired, they might want something the parent won't let them have, whatever. That's fine. Just get the kid out of earshot. "Sorry, he/she is Autistic" is not acceptable. There is surely a reason beyond ASD why the child is not behaving. The child not understanding or reacting appropriately is fine. But don't use Autism as the excuse. Teach the child better.

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Are you a victim of Autism yourself? If so, then how are you able to live your life with it?

I am not a victim. I am a fully functioning, socially capable adult diagnosed with Asperger's around age fourteen. I am able to live my life with it because it doesn't impact me much.

Storytime!
I always kind of knew I didn't function as well socially as other kids. I was put into the EBD (Emotional/Behavioural Disorder aka We Don't Know What's Up With You) category in school from fifth grade to eighth. They put me in a weekly small group with some other non-neurotypicals and/or kids who were just acting out in fifth and sixth grade, then the general Special Education study hall in seventh and eighth. There I taught math and helped the other kids with homework.

Joined PC in fifth grade too! So re: gimmiepie: "For those of you who have autism or something similar, do you find that "social" interaction is easier when not done so in person?"
Online interactions definitely improved my ability to interpret social things. On forums, you don't have to worry about tone, non-verbal communication, or even getting back to someone quickly. That all gives me time to think and analyse what is being said, and that does help when you tend to misinterpret.

Ninth grade, still in Special Ed study hall teaching math/making teacher's answer keys/teaching cribbage, still EBD, but diagnosis changed to Asperger's midway through the year. So I read stuff on that. Found out my social development was naturally hindered and therefore set out to overcome that. I found out that reading near-constantly since I was four had actually given me a leg up; being exposed to many different styles, characters, narrative, and exchanges prepped me for analysing real-world conversations and interactions. I began consciously noticing people's reactions, tonality, and non-verbal cues. I definitely used mimicry to help myself use the same things. The thing is, it took conscious effort. I had to pay close attention and actually consciously practice to be able to do things that came naturally and much earlier to most people. But I put what natural assets I had to use- the focus and the memorization skills that tend to come with being an Aspie. Totally exploited my own mentality to overcome my own mentality.

So, eleventh grade, out of Special Ed but regularly meeting the guidance counsellor. Only three years to become a fairly natural-functioning social person... aside from the latent social anxiety. That's a thing I have yet to deal with. But now I have lots of friends and a nice number of great friends (one of whom is an ex-bf ahaha) and a stable job where I keep making new friends and everyone likes me! Well, most people like me none of them actively dislike me haha. And that's a lot of people fyi; 40 or so cashiers and six managers. I'd say I'm socially competent by now since that's the case.

Seriously. Autism is a deal. A big deal. An ordeal. So screw all who make it out to be trivial. Screw all who say it can't be helped. Screw all who get distraught about it. Screw all who use it as an excuse. Pound a fencepost up the ass of every person that demonizes ASD in any way. Because we may not be neurotypical, but we're human.

Pinkie-Dawn, I highly recommend you change the first post. Saying "Are you a victim of autism?" is incredibly offensive. I'm surprised most people that have posted have only calmly pointed it out to you rather than ripping you for it. But it comes off as rude, inconsiderate, and ignorant of the topic you've created. It's been bothering me a while now, and I thought I'd bring it up, and several people already have.

I got it fixed. I wasn't able to think of better word choices other than "victim," because I didn't want to sound too repetitive whenever I say "the people who were diagnosed by Autism." You could that's also part of Autism due to my difficulty in communication by using awkward word choices.

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Speaking of, living in fantasy world? That's a ton of human beings bro. You don't have to be ASD to do that. But if you are ASD and living in a fantasy world, it's likely because you're being stigmatized and rejected. "Children with high-functioning autism suffer from more intense and frequent loneliness compared to non-autistic peers, despite the common belief that children with autism prefer to be alone." Let's expand that to include ASD adults. Once you're more aware of how the world views you, that's what happens. You build your own little bubble to live in so nothing can hurt you. It's more common in people who do not fit the social norm and can clearly understand that. Again, you don't have to be ASD for that. It's just a sad fact of life.

But it was mentioned on Mac's dictionary of Autism; therefore, preferring fantasy over reality is part of ASD. It's also where I found some of the symptoms I've listed on my OP.

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No.
It's not going to harm your life if you're diagnosed. Probably the greater harm is not being diagnosed, because once you're diagnosed you suddenly have a clearer idea of why you are who you are. And you have access to therapy (if young or severe) and resources that will help you (school/uni counsellors, special education classes, adult support groups). Depending on the severity of the neurological disorder, your parents could get state/government funding for therapists and other resources to help you progress and eventually function at your best capacity. Diagnosis is the very best possible thing that could happen to someone with ASD.

But I want to be normal and not be autistic, because it feels like a curse to me than a mental order. I want to be socially accepted and have more friends irl than online, I want to easily take care of myself and do household chores without fear, I want to live in reality normally rather than living in fantasy, and I want to earn money the right way and not from government funding, because these things for being autistic makes life too easy than it's suppose to be. I want my life to be as challenging as that of a normal person, because I believe in the phrases "life is cruel" and "life is harsh," and I want to justify those phrases by making my life harder than it's suppose to be for an autistic.

but @AlexTheRose, ASD people don't generally come across as rude due to inherent selfishness. More like the inability to communicate well or empathize/sympathize with others causes people to interpret them as self-centred. Also, the normal ASD person's way of communicating with others tends to be "hear story; share related story involving myself". That also comes across as self-centred, but what it boils down to is "I want to express and solidify companionship by telling you a relevant personal story."

However, it isn't one of the main symptoms or used to diagnose the condition; it is just a result of ASD and social pressure. If you're treated badly, you're going to prefer fantasy over reality. This is true for many people as a result of many situations, not just ASD.

Quote:

But I want to be normal and not be autistic, because it feels like a curse to me than a mental order. I want to be socially accepted and have more friends irl than online, I want to easily take care of myself and do household chores without fear, I want to live in reality normally rather than living in fantasy, and I want to earn money the right way and not from government funding, because these things for being autistic makes life too easy than it's suppose to be. I want my life to be as challenging as that of a normal person, because I believe in the phrases "life is cruel" and "life is harsh," and I want to justify those phrases by making my life harder than it's suppose to be for an autistic.

Then do that. If you think being assisted with ASD makes things 'too easy', then go ahead and reject all help of any kind. Do it the hard way. I don't care; it's your life. I chose to detach myself from any assistance as soon as possible simply because it wasn't doing me any good and therefore not worth my time.

But the way you word that makes no sense. Just because you want to be normal means you shouldn't have been diagnosed? That's not how it works. You must have known something was off-kilter beforehand; knowing what it is just gives you the power to change.

And you make it seem like all autistic people are taking the easy way out. No. **** that, are you ****ing kidding me? Without diagnosis and without assistance my eleven-year-old brother would still be struggling as if he were a toddler. Do you think his quality of life would have been improved without diagnosis and treatment? Do you think his brothers and his mother and the rest of his family would be better off if his functionality hadn't been improved? My stepmom and my dad are both teachers. Education funding and therefore teacher salaries are being cut across the country, still. Do you think they could have afforded the necessary care without government aid? And that's just for one child; they have two more with ASD! Don't you dare talk about funding and treatment like it's giving ASD people an easy out. What it does is give them a similar quality of life to a neurotypical.

Isn't that what you want anyway? Why the **** do you want to reject stuff that's going to better your life? Whatever man. I don't care about you and your choices. But don't even start to project them onto others.

Quote originally posted by AlexTheRose:

Making excuses for a certain behavior that reads as selfish to pretty much every person on the planet isn't going to make it any easier to function in human society.

Hello here is the definition of excuse: "A reason or explanation put forward to defend or justify a fault or offense."
For comparison, here is the definition of an explanation: "A reason or justification given for an action or belief."

I have reason to believe you are fairly intelligent. Guess which one applies to my prior post. If you once again chose 'excuse', you are incorrect. I am not justifying or defending ASD people in relation to their coming across as self-centred. I am explaining to you the reason they come across as self-centred is because they have a hard time relating in terms of "you" because they think in terms of "I".

Let us look at the definition of selfish.
Selfish: "Lacking consideration for others; concerned chiefly with one's own personal profit or pleasure."
This is not a trait commonly associated with ASD. A trait commonly associated with ASD is a difficulty relating to others/relating thoughts and feelings to others. Selfishness is a choice, ASD-related social ineptitude is not. Shall I repeat myself? ASD people come across as self-centred, but it is not the case. That is not an excuse for the behaviour or others' perception of it; it is just a fact.

Then do that. If you think being assisted with ASD makes things 'too easy', then go ahead and reject all help of any kind. Do it the hard way. I don't care; it's your life. I chose to detach myself from any assistance as soon as possible simply because it wasn't doing me any good and therefore not worth my time.

But the way you word that makes no sense. Just because you want to be normal means you shouldn't have been diagnosed? That's not how it works. You must have known something was off-kilter beforehand; knowing what it is just gives you the power to change.

And you make it seem like all autistic people are taking the easy way out. No. **** that, are you ****ing kidding me? Without diagnosis and without assistance my eleven-year-old brother would still be struggling as if he were a toddler. Do you think his quality of life would have been improved without diagnosis and treatment? Do you think his brothers and his mother and the rest of his family would be better off if his functionality hadn't been improved? My stepmom and my dad are both teachers. Education funding and therefore teacher salaries are being cut across the country, still. Do you think they could have afforded the necessary care without government aid? And that's just for one child; they have two more with ASD! Don't you dare talk about funding and treatment like it's giving ASD people an easy out. What it does is give them a similar quality of life to a neurotypical.

Isn't that what you want anyway? Why the **** do you want to reject stuff that's going to better your life? Whatever man. I don't care about you and your choices. But don't even start to project them onto others.

You have a point there, because to be quite honest, I really have no idea what I want at all. My ambitions and goals always change and contradict each other, to the point where I really need help. I'm not sure if it's part of my ASD or just my brain mindscrewing me about my choices. I never knew that funding treatment was suppose to help autistic people live a normal life like non-autistic people (I always thought it only gave them better treatment in life than normal people), so I extremely apologize for hurting your feelings, as well as your family and other ASD people. I've been stressed about my ASD resulting in my low confidence in myself, and I wanted to be like a normal person and thought in order to do that, I need to be cured from my mental disorder. Even though I have a family, a home, and couple of friends irl, as well as help from my local disability rehab, I still feel miserable on the inside, and I want that feeling gone somehow. Hence why I ask how is anyone able to live with it, so people could possibly share/help others who have ASD with their problems to live better lives.

@Pinkie-Dawn - I've got nothing against you personally, and please do correct me if I'm wrong, but you seem to be doing a little of what you were complaining about in the OP, by that I mean using autism as an excuse for your actions or mistakes. Although I admit that the first instance of this on the page is one that is most certainly true. The point being it makes little sense to me to say one thing and then do the complete other because it puts serious holes in your own argument.

Moving along.

As for all this stuff about getting help to cope with your ASD. My view on the matter is simple. If you are on the low functioning side of the spectrum, yes you are going to need help and there's no point trying to pretend otherwise. It doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you it just means that you need an extra hand to go about your life.

If you are more moderately autistic or are high-functioning I think help up to a point is okay but quite frankly having people give you handouts all the time isn't good for you. Once the tools to lie your life are given to you it should be your responsibility to put them into use as best you can. That's the best way to deal with it I think although, I might be a bit biased since that's how I have done it.

Sorry if this read terribly I'm seriously tired but can't sleep (hence I'm on here) and again, Pinkie sorry if that first bit came of offensively I wasn't intending to step on anyone's toes.

Hello here is the definition of excuse: "A reason or explanation put forward to defend or justify a fault or offense."
For comparison, here is the definition of an explanation: "A reason or justification given for an action or belief."

You are welcome to believe that such an explanation is an excuse, but that is a very insensitive and selfish perception of the circumstance. If you continue simply going to ignore the points, I am not going to give you the satisfaction of a response. Especially considering you are no longer making a point about ASD, but instead arguing with me about a small point that you seem to not be able to comprehend.

And Fenneking, I would consider older couples having babies at an advanced age is basically asking for some kind of birth defect or disorder. They clearly have a right to do so, but it's risky and foolish in my opinion.

Getting mad about people using the word "autistic" as an insult is as bad as getting mad about people using the word "retarded" as an insult. People who get mad about these things irritate me. Either they're not actually upset and just want to put themselves on a pedestal so they can feel good about themselves, or they're actually upset in which case they need to mellow out and realize using words as an insult does not mean you find the associated concepts insulting. Political correctness has made everything less fun in general, as you have to watch what you say at all times for fear of upsetting someone, like that's something that needs to be avoided. When I was a kid, if something upset you, you were told to "get over it." What ever happened to that?

"The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one's time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all." - H. L. Mencken, unsourced

"There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there always has been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'"- Isaac Asimov, Column in Newsweek (21 January 1980) [source]

I've known one autistic individual and have seen another working (same behavioural ticks as the guy I know, but it could just be the milder asperger's).

I've never heard the term "autistic" being used as a synonym for "stupid," even on the Internet. "Retarded," sure, that's a popular one, but "autistic"? I can definitely see how people would take it and misuse the term to mean something condescending, but it just makes the name-caller sound stupid to me lol

I've known one autistic individual and have seen another working (same behavioural ticks as the guy I know, but it could just be the milder asperger's).

I've never heard the term "autistic" being used as a synonym for "stupid," even on the Internet. "Retarded," sure, that's a popular one, but "autistic"? I can definitely see how people would take it and misuse the term to mean something condescending, but it just makes the name-caller sound stupid to me lol

"The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one's time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all." - H. L. Mencken, unsourced

"There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there always has been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'"- Isaac Asimov, Column in Newsweek (21 January 1980) [source]

(HF)Autism is ok, it gave me my love of history. My OCD is what's bad. Randomly thinking about what someones' face looks like in a blender while shopping or if they'd live if pushed into the road made life unbearable.

As for the "misuse" of the word, that's life. Does it annoy me somedays? Yes, but give it ten years and something else will be misused instead and will annoy you. Just let go.

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